these drunkards when they were awaked what they should do not go to their feastes againe or to the vomits againe or to the tauerns or to the ale-houses or to their mirth but he biddeth them go to the house of mourning Weepe saith the prophet and howle that is as if he had said lay away your pleasures and banish all euill companions drinke vp your teares as wine and eate your sorrowes as bread for a sudden calamitie is come vpon you the meate that is in your hand shall not come into your belly and your mouths shall be weaned from sucking and swilling in of strong drinke From hence when the prophet biddeth them to weepe I might note vnto you the nature or rather an inseparable companion of true repentance which is a mournfull heart and a weeping countenance which doth not onely sorrow for the fault but as it were wash away the sinnes of the soule for the teares which we weepe in this life do shew our vncleannes which if they were able they would cleanse away Teares are said to be the blood of the soule because they proceede of a wounded and sorrowfull spirit and therefore let not desperate ruffians and carnall persons thinke that the sighes and groanes and wishes of their hard hearts can goe for payment in the Lords presence or that the bare misliking and leauing of their old sinnes is true repentance for as the wound cannot be healed but the partie shall be payned so the life cannot be amended except teares or true sorrow be expressed But I will come nearer to my purpose for I cannot stande on euery worde and therefore I will onely note that which is fittest and of greatest necessitie The seuenth Sermon IN the next place he biddeth them to howle which is an action properly belonging to wolues and is metaphorically applied vnto these drunkards for they are both deuourers the one of lambes the other of corne both are beastes the one in nature the other in likenes and seeing they haue reioised like beasts now also he biddeth them to lament like beasts And therefore seeing I seldome find this word Howle but it is applied vnto beasts or wicked men I therefore note hereby that the vngodly comming into aduersitie are like to the brutish and vnreasonable creatures They sorrow without hope they weepe without comfort they howle without praier and they haue their wits and their ease taken away at once if they be merry it is for their wealth if they be heauy it is for their want So that then we may say iustly of them as Paule said of some Ephesians they are beasts in the likenes of men the prophet Dauid telleth vs Psal 49. 20. That man being in honour continueth not but becommeth like beastes that perish The wicked being in honour are inconstantly seated that serueth for their glorie but they are like the beasts that perish that sheweth their miserie in prosperitie they are vncertaine in their aduersitie they are vnhappie when they are lifted vp they will be more then men but when they are thrust downe they are founde equall to beasts The prophet Isay cap. 16. ver 7. prophesying the destruction of Moab because of their pride arrogancie indignation and lyes telleth them as this Ioell doth that Moab shall howle vnto Moab and euery one shall howle for the foundation of Kirhareseth shall yee morne and yet they shall be striken Will a man spare a woulfe although he cry bitterly No no for he knoweth he will rauen againe so God will not spare the wicked although they howle mournfully for he knoweth they will sinne againe Looke vpon this you desperate wicked persons and wretched bondslaues of Sathan heere may you see what you will do when the Lords hand is vpon you will you then turne vnto him when hee is turned from you or will you then remember him when your owne memorie is remooued thinke you then to haue power to praie or any hearts to hope in Christ when your reason and heart is taken from you thinke vpon it I beseech you before hande for else you vndoe your owne soules insomuch as when the water floudes of trouble come vpon you as the iust vengeance for your liues then you be filled with easelesse yelling beastly howling vnmercifull suffering intollerable complaining and no manner of relieuing then shall you finde that they which refuse knowledge instruction and correction in mercy shall feele the same in iudgement and you shall wish that you had endured any torment to be released of your present desperation The reasons heere of are plaine first because they cannot vnderstande iudgement Prou. 28. 5. If they bee crossed in their affaires and cast downe in their liues they know not that then they are arraigned before the iudgement seate of God which maketh them as farre without all naturall reason as they were before without all spirituall religion Dauid saide of them that the Lordes iudgements are farre aboue the sight of the wicked and therefore saith hee doe they defie all their enimies alas seelie soules they thinke that other mens harmes doe not warne them and that the Lord will neuer call them to account for their follies They imagine if they please themselues they displease not God and thinke if the hardest fall vpon them that euer can come yet their estate is better then other mens But my beloued saue your soules I beseech you out of Sathans clawes he draweth you on with deceitfull perswasions telling you that in aduersitie you shall be like other men in the meane season your eies are blinded that you cannot see howe heauie the iudgements of God lie vpon you purposing to take you at aduantage in extremitie that in sicknes he will make you raging in famine he will bring you to blasphemie in warres he will make your desperation that which is worst of al in death hee will bring you to endlesse condemnation Therefore thinke I beseech you with your selues and reioice not like beastes and then shal you mourne like beastes learne the course and causes of the Lordes iudgements that you may neuer feele the want of a peaceable and bolde conscience Another reason is this bicause this is onely the prerogatiue of the Lordes children in aduersitie to keepe their soules by patience Luk. 21. 19. Rom. 5. 3. and therefore the Lord will not giue his childrens meate vnto dogges nor yet cast such a pearle before such swine Where there is a dissimilitude of ioy there is also a dissimilitude of sorrow but betwixt the good and bad there is no likenes of their mirth and therefore there shall be no likenes of their woe they are proud when we are poore they are many when we are fewe they are merrie when we are sorrie they are glorious when we seeme comfortlesse and therefore when we are relecued they are distressed God is our comfort but it is their comfort if there were no God the diuell is our enimie but their
eares and hand and heart to theirs when they are humbled fall thou downe when they are praying praie with them when they are hearing heare with them when they are singing sing with them and when they are mourning lamenth with them If they ioine in petition to God oh account it happinesse for thee to subscribe thy name for they are blessed that are ioyned to the fellowship of the saints Another vse if wee must seate our selues in most conuenient place to heare then let vs also frequent the places of praier and religion When the church was compelled to a riuers side in steede of a cathedrall church Act. 16. 15. Lydia the purple woman resorted thither and once she had her hart opened and conuerted to the Lord In like manner let vs resort to the churches for at one time or other we may boldly assure our selues that we shall receiue the pledge of life eternall But in our daies men are so affected to this doctrine that the diuell laugheth at it and good men lament it for either they come not at all as the ghestes which were bid to a wedding or else they come without conscience as he did without a wedding garment or else they are present without attention as Eutyches that fell on sleepe at Paules preaching or else they depart out of our assemblies as Iudas did from Christ when hee went to betray him Standing times of praier in the church some say are of Poperie and in the house they are of other condemned for puritanisme so that godly praiers being the sword of the spirite are now growen rustie and dull that few mens sins or liues or harts are parted therewith But my deere brethren come to the times of praier and binde your selues not onely publikely but also priuately with seuere vowes and pay them to the Lord for so shall the fire of the spirite be kindled in you the holy Ghost shall raigne in you the saints shall be comforted by you and you shall trie that all things are possible to a Christian Spare thy people Now we are come to the praier which the prophet teacheth the priestes to make for the people which is thus much in effect Wee haue no refuge but to flie to thee O Lord we are guiltie of the punishment but yet thou maist stay thy hand and spare our liues Giue vs not ouer wee pray thee that our enemies reioice not ouer vs and blaspheme thy blessed name we are the fields of thine owne inheritance reuenge our cause from the handes of strangers oh spare vs that we may serue thee First out of the beginning of this praier we may note that petitioners and those which are suiters to the throne of grace must alway pleade guiltie in the presence of God Luc. 18. 12 13. The example of the Publican prooueth this that the Lord loueth vs better when we tell him of our follies then when we shew him our vertues The Lord which will seldome helpe till there be no helpe but in his mercie biddeth vs alway to condemne our selues so that when wee thinke most basely of our natures and speake most vilely yet truly of our liues and confesse most bitterly against our selues then are we most nigh to the end of our praiers For this cause let vs meditate before praier that we may sufficiently waigh our miseries and more lamentably bewaile our wants and more ardently pray for his mercie that we may more comfortably enioy his fauour The reasons hereof because there is not one man liuing that can bee iustified before God Psal 143. 1 2. but euery man is an vnprofitable seruant for which cause we must alway accuse our sins and call for pardon at the Lords hand This reason being knowen of the baser and wickeder sort they imagine that they haue gained a sufficient charter to continue in their euill why say they the most righteous are guiltie in the Lords sight and what are we more Doe what wee can yet we shall sinne and we can but craue pardon of him for many as well as for few but this is a wicked and an accursed reason For although the best fall into many enormities yet ought not you to sinne good men fall into sinne but you dwell in sinne they are sorrie for them but you delight in them Dauid sinned was therefore Absolom or Achitophel vnpunished because Peter denied his maister might therefore Iudas betray him or because one man falleth into debt by sicknesse may you therefore fall into debt through riot if a sound body doe now and then fall into sicknesse then hee which hath a crazie body had neede to looke to himselfe so if men of sound soules doe fall into euils you which haue sicke soules must bee much more carefull of your health Another reason our Sauiour giueth Luc. 18. 14. for the Lord resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and meeke therefore ought wee to increase in the numbring of our sinnes that the Lord may aduance vs to the beholding of his mercie Let vs be assured if we pray without sorrow we doe but mocke the Lord but if we sorrow with earnest praier we prepare many ioyes for our soules First let vs learne that our praiers must bee ardent and continuall in the eares of the Lord as the Israelites were Iudg. 10. 3. to 13. for as we haue a continuall occasion of sinning so we must take continuall occasion of praying Who is he that hath beene but a little while in the practise of christianitie and hath not learned this lesson My sinnes are euer in my sight too heauie a burden for me to beare therefore as he which is vexed with a continuall want laboureth in a continuall worke and hee which hath a continuall sicknesse turneth on euery side to finde ease so must we which are euermore oppressed with sinne be euermore praying for helpe As the greatest burdens make the porters sweate the greatest drops so will our sinnes if we feele them make vs sweate drops of blood to be released of them therefore pray till thou be heard and take for thy example the poore widow which woulde neuer giue ouer till the iudge had righted her cause neither doe thou cease to pray til thy soule doe cease to sinne Many pray through want but not with want and for grace but not with grace they are cold and not continuall in their suites Who is so hard harted seeing a poore man with as many sores as his body can beare running after him a mile or twaine and begging but a penny that coulde denie him in like manner if wee shewe all our sores and sinnes and miseries vnto the Lord continually that when our voice is wearie our harts may speake and when our harts are sleepie our wounds may crie for mercie so that we may neither eate nor sleepe till we know our sinnes be pardoned Let vs neuer be afraide to come to the Lord notwithstanding we finde
world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement of sinne because they abound in it of righteousnes because they want it and of iudgement because they feare it Now search thy soule whether thou haue beene reprooued for these things or not for it wil speake to thee when thou art alone and it wil follow thee whither soeuer thou goest and it will not suffer thee to rest in any sinnes but at the first it will admonish thee gently afterward it will call vpon thee with diligence earely and late if thou amend not It will make thy meate vnsauorie and turne thy sleepe into many feares and then if thou repent not either it will vtterly forsake thee or else lay loade on thee of most fearfull iudgements and terrible wrath of God which will either turne thee into lamentation and great distresse of minde or else into desperation and vtter losse of soule Oh feare my deere brethren for the conscience of these things for it will worke most terribly in you if you haue it you liue in subiection if you offend it you liue in danger and if you lose it you die in trouble Therefore thou art happie when thou art reprooued for sinne thou art more happie when thou art inwardly scourged for thy faults but thou art most happie when thou art repentant in teares and ashes sackcloth and an infinite number of sorrowes so that hereby we see why God exempteth vs from the feare of hell because he keepeth vs vnder continuall correction of sinne Another vse let vs aske for the holy Ghost when wee feele the want thereof Luke 11. 13. for God will send him to those that want him Barren women aske for children sicke men for health olde men for life weake men for strength blinde men for sight and therefore let Christians aske for the holy Ghost For God will be as easily entreated for him as for the other and he will giue vs more ioy then children more comfort then health more good then life more benefite then strength more profit then sight and therefore let vs pray for him more earnestly then for any other of these If you aske how you shall pray for the holy Ghost I answere by the holy Ghost But you will say if you haue him already you neede not pray for him to which I answere you must pray as sicke men doe for life when they haue life so when you haue a little feeling of the holy Ghost pray that it may bee more and that euery little sparkle may be a flame and all our weaknesse turned into strength The persons vpon whom this spirite is to bee powred are sonnes and daughters olde and yoong men and women free and bond for of all these doth the church consist Whereby wee may obserue that there is not any sexe or any man but he is capable of the holy Ghost and so of saluation Isa 44. 3. The reasons are first because they haue receiued the hope of eternall life Tit. 3. 7. secondly the promises are general and there is not any excluded Therefore let vs learne not to greeue the holy Ghost Ephe. 4. 30. nor to quench any motions of the spirit within vs for the beginning of religion is like the blading of the corne if it then bee bitten it neuer groweth more Againe let vs fight against the lustes of the flesh Gal. 5. 17. for the spirite lusteth against the flesh There must bee a pitched field in euery mans soule the soule is one fighter and sinnes are the other the soule is aided by the spirite and our sinnes are aided by the flesh the weapons of the soule are spirituall the word the promises faith hope loue patience and constancie the weapons of sinne are ignorance lustes pleasures ease profite gaine pride selfeloue and prosperitie The meanes wherby they strike are temptations if the soule conquere the sinnes bleede abundance of teares if sinne conquere the soule is quiet and bound in a soft bed of delight that she may liue in perpetuall imprisonment fed with all lothing of goodnesse and starued with vaine shewes of foode stuffed with sweete poisons of many wofull sinnes and so in the end breaketh in peeces and falleth to eternall miserie This is a Christians combate one must needes die the enemies cannot liue in league the battell must needes be fought out and therefore come prepared the lesse thou eatest the better thou shalt endure the more thou watchest in praier the more shall be thy aduantage This battell is like the battell betwixt Dauid and Absolon for our owne sinnes which wee haue begotten doe conspire against vs and as Dauid wept for Absolon when he had gotten the field so wee shall weepe for our sinnes when we haue conquered them and wish that either they had not beene or else that wee had not beene therefore let vs haue the spirite on our sides that we may haue peace in our soules Now follow the effects of the spirite and the first is that they shall prophesie the next that they shoulde dreame dreames and see visions for these were accounted the most honourable works of the spirite before the comming of Christ because herein did the Lorde answere the demaunds of men as we may see in Ioseph Matt. 1. 21. and in Zacharie Luc. 1. And vnder these olde types doth the prophet signifie the abundant graces in the church when euery one shoulde prophesie that is shoulde bee able to speake the worde for the comfort and edification of his brother and euery one should see the counsels of God day and night by dreames and visions and not bee afraide First we may obserue here that none can prophesie but by the spirite of God 1. Cor. 14. 29. It is not possible that any shoulde open the worde of God and speake to the comfort of them that heare him but by inspiration of the holy Ghost therefore those which speake in the congregation and are not able to edifie them that heare them doe nothing lesse then speake by the holy Ghost opening their barren wits to the woonder of the worlde The reasons first because prophesie is an opening of the counsell of God which none can doe but those which haue the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 11. Againe it is the spirit of God that openeth our harts and maketh vs able to answere the aduersarie of our profession much more doth it helpe vs when we are to comfort the people of God in the congregation Luke 21. 15. Let vs therefore in our preaching or prophesying learne to prophesie according to the proportion of faith Rom. 12. 6. for as it is a damnable thing before God vnder an oath to couer falshood so is it alike damnable thing vnder pretence of the spirit to teach heresie and impietie Againe let vs learne to trie the spirits 1. Iohn 5. 1. whether they be of God or not for many false spirits are come into the world bringing in againe popery heresie
and dearest cost for euen for these shall you receiue many thousand times more comforts in this world and ioyes in the world to come But oh my deerely beloued in the Lord I may complaine of the neglect of preaching and prophesiyng as Ieremie did of Ierusalem Lament 1. How doth that citie remaine solitarie that was full of people she is as a widow she that was great among the nations and princesse among the prouinces is made tributarie Euen so weepe you chaste doues of the Lord and you solitarie Pellicans professours of the truth take you vp this Lamentation and say how doe those loftie cities which are builded on the Lords hill the ministers of the word remaine desolate for there is none that come vnto them to buy their heauenly wares preaching of the vulgar and greatest sort is counted meere babling the glorious gifts of the spirit are as little as dreamers fits and many peraduenture in some one man haue some delight like to a strange muse wrought in a male contented minde by a consort of Musicke but what sinnes will they forsake at his request Surely as many as did Herod at the preaching of Iohn Baptist nay rather farewell friendship then welcome repentance though they like such a preacher well yet they loue their pleasures better Hereby may we of the ministerie try our owne friends and manifest the Lords followers if we meekely reprooue their follies which will beare vs in hand they loue and like vs well As for example if they be of the gentle sort tell them of their vaine expences if of the meaner tell them of their carnall minds if of the poorest tell them of their ignorance if the brauest shew them of their pride if the learnedst declare to them their vaine glorie and finally if the noblest bid them beware of despising the Gospell if they will abide these blowes and turne you the other cheeke also then account him for a Dauid or else reiect him for a Herod Oh how is the world altered from following preaching and prophesie in the purest age of the church their greatest glorie was in the ministery since that time euen in our owne memorie how would the people of the countrey flocke to follow preaching but now euen in our daies my beloued we our selues haue liued to see the preachers mocked as Elishah was the same people which once woulde seeme to care for nothing saue Christ the more are the preachers the fewer are the hearers Euen the Sabaothes of the Lorde are polluted with all manner of villanies and vanities as boldly as if the Gospels sounde had neuer beene shewed among vs. Euen the princesse of all professions I meane Diuinitie the Queene of al sciences the preaching of the worde is become the vilest in shew the poorest in practise the meanest in request and the greatest in slauerie The word of the Lord that came to loel the sonne of Pethuell That is to say which he sent or spake vnto Ioel the sonne of Pethuell In old time God spake diuers and many waies saith the Scripture Heb. 1. 1. to our fathers by the Prophets them I finde principally to be these first by vision as to Salomon 2. Chro. 1. 7. secondly by dreames as Moses saieth Deut. 1. 2. 6. and so he spake to Ioseph Mat. 1. 20. Thirdly by plaine face to face as hee did to Moses Fourthly by Angels Act. 8. 26. and lastly by secret instinct or motion of the spirit Luke 2. 27. and in this manner it is most likely the prophet Ioel receiued this prophesie Out of this we obserue this doctrine that if God send not his worde among vs we our selues euen the greatest among vs could or would not apprehend it For this cause the Scripture calleth it the word that came to Ioell meaning that then it came vnto him when he thought least of such strange euents terrible iudgements which he had giuen him in commission to denounce to his countrey men And the truth hereof may appeare by many testimonies of the word of God In that sinfull estate wherein all Israell stood in the time of Esay the prophet the Lord cried out Esay 6. 8. Whom shall I send vnto them as if there were none that would offer themselues to this busines And in the prophesie of Ieremie the Lord many times complaineth that he himselfe intended this busines earely and late morning and euening to send his prophets vnto them for their conuersion In other places where he bewaileth the destruction of his people he assigneth this for the cause The Prophets ran but I sent them not neither did they teach my ordinances So that if there be any forwardnes in the preachers and ministers that way to goe on their message before they receiue their arrand it rather destroyeth then saueth curseth then blesseth scattereth then gathereth the flocke of God togither Indeede when the Lord sendeth any he giueth them before hande the knowledge of his word so that they only which are apt and willing to teach are to be accompted the Lords ministers and no others Euen as the Lord gaue either more talents or fewer to euerie one of his seruants and we read not any called his seruant but he which had a talent at the least euen so in the ministerie where is not some sufficiencie to discharge that function I can neuer say he was of the Lords sending Therfore we must know that the great store of godly preachers and ministers of the word that abound in our daies in most corners of our countrey I would to God I could say in all were not either for desire of liuing or glorious estimation or any wordly cause aduaunced to the churches seruice but the Lord who hath indued their minds with knowledge their hearts with courage their toongs with vtterance and themselues with his spirit and word euen he aboue hath chosen them to be souldiers in his wars against Sathans kingdome and by the voice of his word like canon shot to batter downe the castles of darkenes The reasons hereof are manifest first because that mans nature in it selfe abhorreth nothing more then God his seruices Exo. 3. 11. 12 13. when Moses was called by the Lord to carie his name before Pharoh and the children of Israell how many delayes did he make and how many shifts did he inuent to exempt himselfe from this heauenly message sometime he wanted toong sometime strength and sometime authoritie now one while hee feared the king another while the people and although the Lord wrought miracles for him yet would he gladly auoide it Secondly it is apparant that when the people were in greatest extremitie and most of all felt the heauie hand of the wrath of God there was no calamitie that touched them so neerely or pressed them so deadly as this to thinke they had no Prophets left to inquire of the word of the Lord. For as a shippe in the midst of the sea tossed too
he had lost his strength and carrie their poore soules into miserable captiuitie Oh wouldest thou neuer weepe nor sorrowe nor wring thy hands for any worldly thing then bee religious and as peace was in Israel all Salomons raigne so shall it be in thy soule all the while that religion raigneth The first reason because religion is the wisedome of God Matt. 11. 19. 1. Cor. 1. 30. now this is the greatest point of wisedome to foresee that they doe nothing which may hurt them for this is true repentance not to commit sinne which must be repented and it is religion that onely awaketh vs when wee are sleepie ruleth vs when we are awaked We neuer read that the children of Israel had any cause to repent their obedience all the while that they were in the wildernesse no more shall we haue any cause to repent our obedience to the gospell which is our heauenly wisedome Another reason it is the power of God vnto saluation Rom. 1. 16. Let vs therefore say with Dauid 2. Sam. 6. 22. that for the Lord of hostes sake and for religion wee will yet be more vaine that is howsoeuer the world account of vs and of our zeale in religion yet we will aduenture their displeasure farther for all their mockes and reproches and by names slanders shall not dismay vs but we will go forwarde in our pretended course And as Mical was cursed with barrennesse all hir life long bicause she mocked hir husband Dauid when he daunced before the Arke so I praie God they be not as barren and voide of goodnesse that mocke at the professours of religion Againe let vs euermore hearken to the Lorde speaking in his worde Ierem. 38. 20. for then wee shall not bee burned with heate nor frozen with colde nor be ashamed of our youth or bee troubled with our age or repent our birth or curse the daie that wee came into the worlde for it shall shielde vs from all these mischiefes Oh let vs open our eares to his wordes that hee may open his eares to our praiers for as the Israelites were neuer blamed so long as they followed the cloud the pillar of smoke the Arke so shalt thou neuer be blamed if thou looke vpward to the Lord and ioyne thy selfe to the maine pillar of truth the church of God and followe the Arke which is the Gospell borne by the ministers or else thou shalt weepe and crie howle and repent at the last when thou canst not repent throughly Yee shall also knowe that I am in the middes of Israell and that I am the Lorde your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed Nowe hee beginneth to follow the spirituall benefits from this vers to the ende of the chapter promising them first his presence vers 27 28 29. then his power in the verses to the ende His presence is promised first in regarde of the particular knowledge of his fauour resting among them vers 27. And in the two next verses by the powring out of his spirit And heereby we may first of all note that the church of God which is Israell hath the Lorde in hir continually Matth. 28. 19. Although by diuine power God bee present euery where yet is hee most present in the church in heauen and earth there doth hee shewe more power more mercy more iudgement more fauour then in other places I meane in that place where his Gospell is professed The first reason bicause in his church is his chiefe treasure Esay 33. 6. And as Christ saide to vs where our treasures are there are our harts so the Lordes heart and soule is lodged in his church where are his treasures namely his feare zeale faith knowledge redemption and the graces of the spirit and I woulde God men did not cast his treasure before the swine of their filthie sinnes Another reason bicause the power of darknes shall not preuaile against it Mat. 16. 18. For as the sunne doth breake awaie the cloudes and the north winde driue away the raine so doth the presence of God in his church breake in peeces the strength of diuels and driue away the rage of sinne And truely as when Lot went out of Sodom the valley was destroied so when God shall forsake his church it shal come to ruine Let vs learne to glorifie the Lorde in the church 1. Cor. 6. 20. for hee is not far off but in the middest of vs. Againe let vs also by the consideration of his dwelling among vs hold fast our hope of trust Heb. 3 6. that we be not confounded at the last The presence of Debora made Barac get the victorie against Sisera and his nine hundred charets of iron let vs not by the presence of a woman or man but God Almightie put to flight all our sinnes and lead our pleasures captiues that they may neuer more offend the church of God Secondly by this verse wee must note that it behooueth euerie member of the church to haue a particular knowledge of the Lordes fauour towarde him not onely that God is or that Christ died for the worlde but that God is their God and Christ is their redeemer 2. Cor. 5. 11. So that as Elisha woulde not forsake Elijah because hee was his master nor Ruth forsake Naomi because shee was hir stepmother nor Peter forsake Christ because hee was his Sauiour no more must wee forsake the Lorde for hee is our master our father our Sauiour and our God In this one point is included all religion for this is the ende of all profession that God may bee ours and wee may bee his The first reason because without this assurance of faith wee cannot please God Heb. 11. 6. So that whatsoeuer we do for companie or custome or perswasion or of vncertainty doth not please almightie God Againe if wee knowe not that GOD is in vs then are wee reprobates and then were it better for vs that wee had neuer so much as liued vnder the time of the Gospell Therefore let vs seeke the Lorde more ardently for as the brethren of Ioseph might not see his face anie more except they brought little Beniamin with them so may not wee appeere before GOD except wee bring this perswasion with vs. Gedeon slewe fortie two thousande because they coulde not rightly pronounce one worde but the Lorde will slay many millions that cannot say that hee is theirs Oh learne to say vnto God my father as Isaac did that he may answere vnto thee my sonne as Abraham did Againe let vs open the way that other men may come to the Lord as well as wee Isai 26. 2. for God keepeth not his kingdome to himselfe as Noah did not builde his arke for himselfe or Salomon his houses for himselfe nor the Apostles possessed the spirite for themselues onely and so let vs not conceale the Lordes fauour to our selues onely but
TIMES LAMENTATION or An exposition on the prophet IOEL in sundry Sermons or Meditations Ierem. 13. 17. But if you will not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for your pride and my eies shall weepe and drop downe teares bicause the Lords flocke is carried away captiue Bernard sentent The whole race of mankinde may lament these three things their birth full of vncleannesse their life pressed with wickednesse and their death in woefull danger AT LONDON Printed by Edm. Bollifant for George Potter 1599 TO THE RIGHT Honorable Sir Charles Blunt Lord Mountioy Knight of the most noble order of the Garter c. all earthly and heauenly felicitie RIght Honorable Lord Time is the measure of all things and therefore to shewe the misertes thereof is the fittest noueltie for our daies To consider the ancient or first time of the world which God created and approoued to be good Gen. 1. 4 5. where of one speaketh thus Flumina iam lactis iam flumina nectaris ibant Flauaque de viridi stillabant illice mella And this was called the golden age of the world wherein were riuers of milke and nectar and the rocks dropped downe honie where in was no destroying sword or pining sicknesse or burning hatred or wearisome labour to molest or disquiet the life of man would make vs either to woonder like fooles or to weepe like wise men But time is changed it was golden it was good it is wooden it is euill short was that time for it continued not many or as some thinke not any daies for sinne followed the creation therefore time may well clad her selfe in mourning weede and say with Iacob Few and euill are her daies Zimri was a king yet it lasted but seuen daies and then he burned himselfe aliue so time was glorious but seuen daies and then he burned himselfe aliue so time was glorious but seuen daies and then it fell into flames of woe that euery childe of time may weepe with Ierusalem Lament 4. 16. and say The crowne of our head is fallen woe now vnto vs that we haue sinned If I may be so bold with your Lordship to stand a little on the miseries of the world and to picke out here and there a consideration or an example from ancient historie whereunto your Lordship as vnto all other good learning haue deuoted your selfe I knowe that you will easily say with that princely-wisest Salomon that all is but vanitie and vexation of spirite and much commend the sorrowes and teares of Heraclitus who neuer laughed and of Serapion who euer weeped the one for the world the other for his sinnes If now your Honour aske me of the state of the world or the whole life of man liuing in the world what opinion I euer hold concerning the same I must answer you that it is the house of mourning and not one commeth thither but in all the partes of his life and profession he may truly say Quisquis non causas mille doloris habet that he was borne in sorrow and liueth in sorrow and dieth in greefe and is buried in lamentation though afterward he liue in glorie for ante mortem nemo beatus The world consisteth of two sorts of men of good men and euill good men doe euer sorrow for the worlde is their hell and euill men shoulde euer sorrow because God is their enimie the one for the affliction which they feele the other for the iudgement which they feare yea verily weeping seemeth so naturall in our sinfull state that ioy constraineth men to weepe For so we reade of Ioseph when he saw his brethren and met with his father and of Ptolemaeus Philadelphus when the Seuentie interpreters had finished the Bible and deliuered it to him he wept for ioy abundantly If we turne our eies to pitie the estate of the distressed although our selues haue not tasted of aduersitie yet this pitie if it be true pitie will enforce vs to greefe When Xerxes had his infinite huge armie in the fielde before him and tooke a view thereof he could not refraine from weeping to see the miserie of mankinde When Scipio had set Carthage on fire and sawe the flames there of soaring vp to the cloudes although he was their enemie yet the teares trickled downe his cheekes to beholde their ruine When Titus besieged Ierusalem and sawe euery day the infinite number of dead bodies throwne ouer the wals into the ditches which famished in the citie whereby he knewe their surpassing calamitie whereof himselfe was the cause yet in compassion of their estate he could not behold them but with waterie eies To goe yet farther in the affections if men be angrie they will easily mourne as Christ did ouer Ierusalem and thus you may beholde how ioy and loue and hatred and pitie and anger and desire doe call men to mourning Mourning and lamentation are so needefull that God hath made euery creature fit for the same The heauens haue their cloudes the earth hath his riuers and fountaines the beastes haue their roarings and howlings and the hard marble stones send foorth their fountaine teares Againe if we looke into the causes as we haue looked into the affections we shall perceiue that the same causes haue caused much mourning which pretended much reioycing Some will thinke that men hauing fine wits and hauing attained great knowledge being good Polititians the world will neuer frowne on them time shal neuer lament them but you know it is far otherwise for one saith too truly that the best clerks haue the worst fortunes For Socrates died in prison another by swallowing of a raw fish Aeschilus was brained with a tile Sophocles perished with a bunch of grapes the dogs tore Euripides in peeces Homer was famished Aristotle drowned and Glaucus an excellent Phisitian was put to death by Alexander and as Plutarch saith was crucified would not this make a man to mourne to see such rare wits haue such hard haps and may not Time well lament her vnwoorthinesse because she may not nurse such children Surely the Prophets haue for the most part tasted of this cup and violence hath brought them to their latter ende But peraduenture although the world doe frowne vpon schollers yet it laugheth vpon other for kings and souldiers liue in the world without all want But they are much deceiued Saul was a king yet he slew himselfe Caesar was a king but he was slaine in the Senate Valens was an Emperour yet flying to a shepherds cottage was burned therin Vigellius lost his eies Claudius Herminianus was eaten with woormes as Herod was Seuerus for very griefe did poyson himselfe as Annibal did and one said well if the people knew but the least part of a Princes cares they would thinke the cloth of state woorse then a russet coate And for soldiers or men most excellent in armes they are destinated to labour while they conquer and get fame and
to mourne being discountenaunced ready for death Therefore warre said Augustine Malis videtur voluptas bonis necessitas Pompey had three seuerall triumphes into Rome yet what was his ende Sylla and Marius what notable things did they and whom did they not ouercome yet they became priuate and came home by weeping crosse All the liues of Greekes and Romanes in Plutarch will testifie the hard hap of martiall men and who is he that can abstaine from teares to heare or read of that noble and Christian Belisarius who after thirtie yeeres seruice to his Lord and Emperour had both his eies put out for his reward Yet rich men if they be priuate or haue but a little authoritie may be thought to lead the best liues and not to be lamented Surely most of all for of them it is said most truely Quaerere vt absumant absumpta requirere certant Atque ipsae vitijs sunt alimenta vices Crassus a rich Romane for his wealth was beheaded by Surenas Beda doth often shew and lament the riches riot expence security ease of the Britons declaring that all these things did but fat thē vp against the day of slaughter He was not far amisse that said that Princes must be vsed as fire for it is not safe to be neere it nor yet good to be too farre from it And I would that all rich men would euer remember that fearefull saying of our Sauiour How hardly shall a man that hath riches enter into the kingdome of heauen It is easier for a gable to goe thorough the eie of a needle c. The raigne of Salomon was a most peaceable time and so happie as neuer was in Israell yet the people had many insufferable burdens so that without discontents none can liue Aristides was hated for his iustice Antonius surnamed Philosophus an Emperour because he would draw all things to the exact rule of learning was accused to execute tyrannie vnder pretence of Philosophie and no maruell for Christ was called a deceiuer though he wrought miracles thus are good endeuours crossed To goe yet farther and to looke into the life of man the same thing which doth make it commendable doth make it lamentable Beautie is a great grace to men or women yet Absolon Vasthi King Assuerus his Queene Bethsabe Lucrece Cleopatra and many other as the wife of Constantine whom he burned haue beene vndone by these things wherby God aduanced them Children are like Oliue-plants whose fruits make their parents faces cheerefull yet it is too true Vide patriproles luctus vsque quo creet foolish children are heauines to their parents Plutarch telleth vs that one Iphis saw at one time buried his two sonnes and a daughter Iacob was much troubled with his sonnes and so was Samuel and Dauid and many other so that as their mothers weepe in their birth so their fathers weepe in their bringing vp But the sorrow that parents endure by their children is lamentably set foorth in this example One Bochna a woman hauing two sonnes leauing the greater in her house tooke the lesser in her hande to a riuer side neer hir dwelling and sitting by the water she heard her elder son to crie she hastened into her house leauing the yoong one behind her and comming in she found that her sonne had thrust a knife into himselfe and lay on the earth drawing his last breath the tender mother seeing the bleeding child pulled out the knife and the child died which she must needs behold with a heart readie to breake for sorrow and hauing layd it foorth went to fetch in the childe which she had left by the riuer side to comfort herselfe in him but when she came she found the waters had carried him away and drowned him oh then shee tare herselfe neuer ceasing her violent outcries til she had made an end of her owne life These with a thousande other examples and considerations to mitigate the loue of life and to encrease repentance I could easilie produce to shewe the ruines of time as a reason of this my labour Which in most humble manner I offer vnto your Lordship as the conscience of your former honourable fauour towards me doth binde me aeternally to studie by all meanes possible to signifie my thankefulnesse vnto your Honor the meane of my preferment being desirous that all good men into whose handes these my poore labours shall come should account themselues beholding vnto your Lordship for that your fauour gaue encouragement and meanes vnto me for the better penning and publishing heereof Wherefore my humble suite is that your Honor would vouchsafe the patronage hereof being assured that more learned then my selfe will accept my good will and good men will helpe me with their praiers to God vnto whose sweete aeternall fauour I commend your Honor that you may liue long to the benefite of your countrey the aduancement of your Honor the comfort of learning and aboue all to his glorie who shall glorifie you in the heauens And thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse I humblie take my leaue remaining Your Lordships most bounden EDW. TOPSELL Times Lamentation THis mournful Prophet Ioel sent from the Lorde vnto the Iewes onely at that time when Hoseah prophesied vnto the ten tribes as it is thought giueth that whole nation of the people most lamentable signes of sorrowfull plagues and imminent dangers hanging ouer their heads For the condition of this people began to be like the estate of a desperate sicke man whose health being wasted by continuall diseases the Physicians surcease to administer medicines and leaue him to be lamented by his friendes that their waterie eies and sorrowfull soules may either speedily worke the recouerie of his health or else religiously adorne his carcase for the graue Euen so the prophet beginneth where nature faileth that whereas the sinnes of this people could not be purged by plentie nor the sores of their soules be cured by mercie he commeth foorth like a mourner with sad gestures and dolefull speeches either to turne them from their euils or else to lament them to their funerals His words be few because his teares be many and his Sermons short because they tell of sorrowes This is therefore my purpose so farre foorth to expound this prophesie as is requisite for the present times for seeing there is too pleasant an harmony in the sinnes of Iudah and England it shall not be amisse to follow the example of the Spirite of God either to marre the musicke by these mournfull ditties or else to bring these instruments oft euill out oftune that the strings of their sinnes may be vntwisted by the teares of their soules The prophet by his owne example teacheth and by his continuall Sermons exhorteth the people to lament their dangers that now were hanging ouer their countrie The Spirite of God deliuereth this message in these two partes The first concerneth the nation of the Iewes God his
we are not admonished by once or twise wee regarde not till we bee chastened and then like wretches murmur at our paines enuie at our sufferings and rebell at his iudgements wee open that which he would couer that is our pride and we destroy that he would saue that is our soules then shall his weakest instruments worke our greatest calamitie To make my vine waste and to pill off the barke of my figge tree to make it bare and to cast it downe that the branches thereof be made white Now the Prophet telleth them where this nation should conquere that is among the vines and figge trees which were very common in Iudea being the sustentation of the poore and the delight of the wealthie and these should all be broken all bee barren and all bee withered and left fruitlesse From hence we may obserue this doctrine that the fruites of the earth are destroied for the sinne of man what had these vines offended that they should be wasted or what had the figge trees sinned that they should be broken downe Surely nothing but the men that vsed or rather abused them were the onely cause that the iuice was dried and their sweetenesse denied them For this cause said the spirite of God by Dauid Psal 107 34. A fruitfull land maketh he barren for the sinnes of them that dwell therein This is a iudgement worth the noting that we might knowe how to amende our land when it cannot yeelde her increase which is to compasse it with our sorrowfull harts and water it with the teares of our eies And this may serue for euidence in our times against them that thinke all is in good order and there needeth no farther reformation Yes verily the earth it selfe crieth out for a reformation for she may say as Naomi saide to her friends I went out full but I returned emptie or as Iacob saide to his sonnes You haue robbed me of my children it is wee that haue inclosed great fruit in a little storehouse for our sinnes haue blasted it and the earth is made barren The reasons of this doctrine are these because there is nothing that will so mooue vs as want will and therefore we are punished with that which goeth neerest vnto vs. Nehem. 5. 3. 4. The want of corne made the people to sell away their houses and their lands yea their owne children they solde to buy them bread what woulde haue made them thus seruile but famine or what would haue greeued them so farre as this And this selfesame complaint haue many among vs taken vp being ready if any would giue them any money to sell their owne children May not this admonish vs that our land aboundeth with iniquitie that is thus filled with the miserie of the poore yes verily and if it bee not speedily preuented the richest and wealthiest shall feele it as well as the basest The prouerbe is almost verified in famine which was woont to be in warre that the great men make the warres and the poore men beare the blowes so the rich mens sinnes haue made the dearth but the poore men liues abide the death Another reason hereof may be this because by this meanes the best and the greatest come into miserie as well as the smallest not so soone I graunt but in continuance of time it is effected Iere. 14. 3. The noblest send their seruants for water but alas they returne emptie and couer their maisters heads with shame Therefore let vs learne what shall bee the pinching estate of the poore when the noblest men thus wring and how are the seruants plagued when the maisters are thus famished Looke vpon it my deere brethren for not one of you shall escape it if this calamitie continue your iewels shall bee woorth nothing your pearle shall perish with you your money which you haue gotten by oppressing the poore shall rather afflict you then comfort you You haue as it were in sport began to make a dearth and it maketh you laugh inwardly to see the coine come so fast into your cofers beware least the Lord turne it into good earnest and laugh as hartily at you to see the soules goe out of your bodies The vses which we must make of this doctrine are these the first is the same which the prophet exhorteth vnto Hag. 1. 5. That euery one of vs consider our waies since the continuance of this famine came vpon vs. Consider you rich men whether you haue not scored vp many sins that might cause this miserie consider O yee poorer sort whether you haue not added many vnthankfulnesses that thus are reuenged with want Consider O you drunkardes and belly gods whether your appetites haue not brought this scarcitie and your fulnesse this emptinesse thinke with your selues O yoong men if it be not likely that your costly pleasures and chargeable pastimes haue cried for a penurie on the earth and a deere reckoning on the Lords benefites If you finde these things then begin a new consideration and thinke with your selues whether the earth crie not for vengeance and the Lords ministers for repentance Take vp a lamentation and say with our selues O Lord it is we and our fathers house that haue caused thy heauie hand to be powred vpon vs for our sakes haue many poore men laboured many women sorrowed and many children perished we haue their blood vpon vs and thou maist iustly require it at our hands but pardon thou our sinnes increase thou our repentance remooue thou thy iudgements and multiplie the fruites of the earth So shall you not satisfie the iniuries done but the expectation of your brethren and the crie of the poore that are yet liuing For assuredly if you helpe not to beare this burden in your bodies you shall weare it in your soules and if you fast not with vs in this life you shall famish without vs in the life to come Cōsider I beseech you your waies auoide that enimie that by your often sinning would destroy both body and soule Oh our dearth may be perpetuall our griefe is immortall your paines shall be eternall your liberalitie but temporall your want if any want but externall but your and our ioyes shall be continuall therefore consider how long we haue sinned how little we haue amended how much we haue transgressed and how soone wee may bee confounded Amende euery man one then shall families be saued amend families and then shall villages bee blessed amende villages then shall cities be cleansed amende cities then shall countries bee sanctified amende countries and then shall the whole world be conuerted For the world consisteth of countries countries of cities cities of villages villages of families families of seuerall persons therefore if seuerall persons will amende then all the worlde shall be amended Another vse which we may make heereof shall be this to imitate the example of the godly Iewes Ezr. 10. 9. that is that we weepe and tremble for the raines and
by outward shewes and the giftes of the spirite by worldly professions so that if men liue neuer so vprightly and yet be poore or teach neuer so diligently and yet be not famous and pray neuer so feruently and yet be not a flatterer or write neuer so excellently and yet reprooue sinne he is no more accounted then a base and common professour Men will not studie religion because they say the doctors can neuer knowe all things and therefore they will knowe nothing but if none should studie phisicke but he that would cure all diseases sicknesse would quickly ouerthrowe vs and if men follow not religion because they cannot know euerie mysterie the diuell will speedily ouercome their soules Be ye ashamed O ye husbandmen howle O ye vine dressers for the wheate and for the barly because the haruest of the field is perished Now he commeth to the particular persons that dresseth the earth and the fruites thereof bidding them to bee ashamed to see their cunning faile their labour lost their price receiued in vaine because all was destroied whereabout they were imploied From hence we may note that seeing the prophet calleth to these husbandmen it is our dutie that are of the ministerie to speake the word and rebuke sinne and exhort euery kinde of profession vnto religion The princes the nobles the rich the poore the husbandmen the artificers and the seruingmen and the gentlemen must all be exhorted and rebuked by the voice of a preacher And this was the most singular comfort that Paul receiued by his labour Actes 20. 31. That they all coulde beare him witnesse that hee had not ceased daye nor night to admonish euery man of life eternall wherein wee see that the paines of a minister are infinite that must not feare any mans person nor spare any mans profession nor loue any mans sinnes nor bee silent at any mans iniuries nor bee controuled for any iust offence by him rebuked Looke I say to the labours of watchmen in the Lordes house hee warneth them by chiding saith Aug. he instructeth them by preaching he prepareth them by admonition he hath a calling from God to warrant him from the word to enconrage him from the spirit to inflame him and from his conscience to comfort him He must rebuke the rage of great men the folly of old men the vanitie of yoong men the deceit of crafts men the trade of husbandmen the idlenes of seruingmen the wantonnes of women and the sinnes of all men that by wounding them with the word of God both they and he might escape the iudgement of God The reasons of this doctrine may bee these First because as Paul saith in the forenamed place ver 26. 27. that by this means they are free from the blood of all men And we know that the blood of a poore husbandman will staine as much as the blood of the greatest prince in the world But euermore when I haue occasion to talke of the bloode of men which is committed to the preachers and shall bee againe required at our hands me thinkes that the blood and life and hearts and soules should tremble hereat the minister for his charge the people for their danger The captaine doth answere for the body of a man the factor for his masters wealth the scholler for his learning the man for his seruice and the noble man for his princes affaires but the minister must answere for the peoples sinnes Againe what is the danger to keepe thy soule is it not committed to a man hath it not all the diuels in hell to lay siege vnto it and yet wil not men come to their pastors to haue their soules fed being hungrie nor yet cured being sicke nor yet salued being wounded nor yet defended being besieged nor yet to be saued although they be like to bee damned Another reason of this is because our commission must stretch it selfe as far as Christes redemption who is an aduocate for all men that is for all sorts of men and therefore it is most requisite that we speake to all kinds of men that so they may come to the knowledge of redemption Wouldest thou then be exempted from comming to sermons then thou must also be exempted from comming to saluation Is it hard vnto thee and intolerable that the word of God shall restraine thy pleasures then shall it be harder for thee to haue the blood of Christ to annoint thy soule from hell Would not all men come to the kingdom of heauen then wil I open vnto them the gate of the Lord and tell you that obedience to the ministerie is the way and the righteous will enter therein The vses which come of this doctrine are these First seeing that all men must receiue the word of the minister that the ministers flatter not the people and conceale not the iudgements of God from their sinnes Prou. 24. 24. 25. The Lord promised pleasure to them that rebuked the sinne of the wicked and the blessing of goodnes shall bee vpon them What is the hope of the Lords workman we haue already declared But now let me exhort and be exhorted vnto this necessarie doctrine I know that since the world grew to a multitude and the church to a monarchie the great men haue euer enuied the rebukers of sinne I meane the ministerie bicause they liued in greater sinnes themselues and this is the cause why reproofes are so hardly endured that although we speake but generally against a particular sinne yet some or other who is gauled with the conscience thereof will accuse vs for ayming at him and peraduenture threaten vs mortall hatred this was not so in the primitiue church 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. but rather men obeyed gladly then threatned maliciously but so it is in our church and therefore are the ministery afraid in many places to preach the word least they should offend But harken my deere brethren feare them not for it shal come on vs that the Lord threatned Ieremie If we spare his word he will confounde vs in their presence What is there in them that we should feare they are but men in nature so are we they are many in number so are we they haue the world we haue the word they touch but our names or our bodies our soules are the Lords they cannot accuse vs iustly of sinne but themselues they cannot worke their will but the Lords will their wrath is nothing to the Lordes wrath shall we silence the word because they loue it not Beloued haue not mens persons in admiration the word of God is not bound though we be imprisoned that cannot be hurt though we be blamed our soules cannot be touched though our bodies be martyred Let vs wish with Luther that God would make vs woorthie to die for his word Another vse of this doctrine is that the people of all sorts must heare the worde of the minister let them take heed that they beare the
being in a good pasture doth not reioyce in it or what birde hauing but a twigge to sit on doth not sing in the sunny mornings of the spring and wilt thou being a man or woman bee woorse then birde or beast not to reioyce in the blessings of God towardes thee Augustine telleth of one Paulinus that when hee had lost all his goods hee was so farre from being sorrowfull that this was his praier O Lord thou knowest where all my goods are treasured Take not then to heart euery worldly crosse art thou a husbandman and hast lost thy corne art thou a merchant and hast suffered shipwracke art thou a trauailer and hast beene spoiled by robbers art thou a widowe and hast lost both husbande and wealth yet take not sorrowe to thy hart sleepe from thy eies peace from thy life beautie from thy face nor comfort from thy soule From hence wee learne to make many profitable vses whereof this may be one that seeing worldly and carnall sorrowe is such a wofull iudgement of God therefore most miserable is the estate of worldly wicked men if they pray in it they cannot be heard Esay 16. 12. If they will embrace the Gospell the worlde will not let them and therefore this sorrowe doth torment them Luk. 18. 23. Oh where wil they now become Good men being sorrowfull are comforted by praier Lamen 5. but euill men although they vse the same wordes and lift vp their voices and weepe and woulde teare their heartes out of their breastes and giue as much to God for ioy as the diuell would haue giuen Christ for worship yet their worme shall euer gnaw them and ioy shall neuer come at thē though they change their mindes as Laban did Iacobs wages to encrease his flocke yet shall they still decrease and not preuaile as Labans did if they thinke as the Syrians did that the hilles be not for them and therefore they will descend into the valleyes there euen there also shall they be destroied Consider this I beseech you who in this world minde nothing but ioy and feare nothing but sorrow and thinke that your feare shall come vpon you Doe you imagine that your wealth shall continue your mirth no no said Salomon that is but vanitie and vexation of spirite or doe you suppose that your harts are Stoicall made of stones and therefore nothing shall dismay you but you will take all things without griefe oh consider that God shall bring this iudgement vpon you for other sinnes there is no counsell against the almightie What will you nowe do and where can you hide your selues that God may not finde you cannot he which made a hard rocke a running streame strike also your harde harts and make your liues and eies as full of teares and sorrowes as the wildernesse flowes full of water Yes yes with no labour shall he and will he plague your liues encrease your pangs multiplie your sorrowes cast downe your comforts and therefore cast away your euill conditions Another vse may be this that we take no thought or vexing care for the things of this life Luc. 12. 23 34. Our Sauiour Christ which was the richest that euer was became the poorest that euer coulde bee and therefore giueth this counsell that wee take not thought for foode or raiment who should take care if the poore take not care and yet our Sauiour a poore man biddeth both poore and rich not to vexe themselues for these earthly commodities Relie therefore vpon the word of our Sauiour I am sure thou wilt trust him when he said I came to saue sinners and thou wilt beleeue him when he said he was the sonne of God therefore doe not distrust him in his promise but take no thought for thy life especially such a care as should bee a hinderance vnto thee in thy spirituall duties Why dost thou labour when thou shouldest pray why dost thou trauell when thou shouldest heare why doest thou wearie thy bodie when thou shouldest rest thy soule in the sweete armes and woundes of a mercifull Sauiour If God doe but breath on thy labour it consumeth it if he curse the worke of thy hands it vanisheth and when it is gone where is thy labour and trauell and worke and ioy and comfort and hope but all in the fire Followe therefore thy labour with godlinesse and follow godlinesse with labour ioyne these two together as Simeon and Iudah ioined to driue the Canaanites out of the lande Iudg. 1. 7 8. and so shall not Canaan but heauen be thy sure resting rode and euer abiding inheritance Let not rich men lay vp too much and buy and sell all for gaines why you haue learned a meane in religion and will you neuer learne a meane in riches oh that your riches were godlinesse and godlinesse your riches that your labour which is now but lost might bee bestowed on that foode and wealth and land and life which neuer shall end Another doctrine which ariseth out of these wordes when hee saith that ioy is parted or withered from the sonnes of men is this whereby hee giueth them to vnderstand that those which will not humble themselues shall be humbled whether they will or no. The nature of man being plentifully stored with all manner of benefites neuer thinketh of a day of vengeance but imagineth that his peaceable estate shall bee for euer therefore the Lord willing to shewe vs our vaine hope and transitorie fading pleasures taketh away from vs those comfortes which wee were woont to receiue by the vse of his blessings and changeth our merrie daies into sorrowfull destinies We haue a notable example hereof in Dan. 5. 3 6 22 23. Belshazzar that proude Babylonian king cared not for the miserable captiuitie wherein he detained the people of Israel there was no conscience of his sinne no pitie on his prisoners no feare of the Lordes maiestie no thought of true humilitie but all to maintaine the pride of a prince and therefore harken what befell him At that time when he was at his banket in the middest of his ruffe with all earthly delights the hand of God appeered and wrote on the wall the sentence of his depriuation and this was because hee had not humbled himselfe before in the time of his prosperitie and then followed a fearefull hart a sorrowfull soule an vnquiet minde and a miserable ende Euen so if we cast not downe our selues before aduersitie come trouble shall come and cast downe vs. Harken vnto this you rich men and women in this world say not to your selues that you will be merrie while you may but rather be sorrie while you may be ioyfull nowe fast while you haue abundance now pray while you are in health now weepe while God may be entreated and now afflict your soules while your comfort remaineth for surely if you continue in your pleasant possessions and worldly disports will you nill you the Lord will humble you And were you not
to serue him through tribulations when mens harts die in them for feare of the Lordes hand as Nabals did when he feared Dauids comming or when men growe desperate seeking vnlawfull meanes to be rid of their miseries as the Iewes did Esay 30. 16. and therefore the Lorde threatneth them that they shall flie as they determined and they shall ride on horses as they appointed but their enimies shoulde ride faster to ouertake and ouerthrowe them I haue obserued the constitution of many men and I founde them like the sea-faring marriners whose life is a continuall death and yet they are more open contemners and more obstinate enimies to all manner of goodnes then are other men and so those whose estate is poorest whose liues are most slauish hauing the prisons for their dwellings and continuallie destitute of meate and all kinde of necessaries none more wicked then these or more carelesse of any good thing But to let those passe there are many that haue escaped dangerous sicknes pyning famine the fearefull hande of warre and cruell death which seemed before their eies vnauoidable and yet remaine desperately wicked still and runne to their owne vomit and wallow in their loathsome myre of sinne these are they which are at a league with death and couenant with hell they hope to escape as well as other and while they be in the world why should they not liue merrily although they goe to hell for it afterwarde Seeing they are so carelesse of their owne welfare who shoulde take care for them and seeing the fearefull hande of God will not winne them the labour of vs his ministers shall neuer perswade them Out of this vers I might obserue vnto you that the pastours are not to proclaime fastings without singular warrant either from God himselfe or else from them that ought to direct them heerein Againe I might obserue that the people must come at the voice or call of their spirituall fathers and pastours also that publique fasting ought to be done in the publike congregation for that time being But wee will proceede to the next wordes where the prophet telleth them what they shoulde doe nowe when they were assembled togither in the fast that is they must cry on the Lorde meaning they shoulde humble themselues by praier And from hence obserue that fasting is nothing woorth without praier Esay 58. 3. Luke 18. 11. The common people doe imagine that when they cease from eating and punish their bodies with a daies abstinence that they doe vnto God high seruice Indeed it is lawfull for the preseruation of their health so to doe but for a diuine seruice or worke of religion they must not account it But this custome sprang vp from the perswasion of poperie which doe not onely account this kinde of abstinence a meritorious worke but also if men eate not flesh although they abouÌ„d in al other delicates with great store of daintie wines and strong drinke yet doe they obserue a druine fast to the Lorde although they neuer make anie conscience of praier and doe not so much as blesse their meate and drinke they receiue Therefore let all good Christians bee carefull to auoide in their fasts ignorance and superstition and let them either ioine praier with their fasting or else neuer reckon it for a worke of religion The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause God doth not except vs for meate 1. Cor. 8. 8. that is with the Lorde if wee eate or eate not wee haue neither the more or lesse and therefore bare abstinence is not any part of religion But if the ordinarie taking of our meates and drink must be sanctified by praier which is a meere ciuill thing then much more the not receiuing either of meate and drinke for a religious cause must be consecrated by praier One saide well that those which place any part of God his seruice in their meate they doe verie neere make their bellie their God Yet though meate and drinke doth not make vs either the better or the woorse to God warde yet we must remember that heerby is not giuen vs any liberty to liue in gluttonie or drunkennes no more then to sterue and pine vp our soules voluntarilie but hee meaneth in the moderate vse or neglect heerâ—â—f Another reason is bicause God neuer commanded any such fast nor allowed it as wee may see in all the course of the Scriptures where euermore there was ioyned with fasting publike and most earnest praier and lamentation why then shoulde wee vse that in the Lordes seruice which hee neuer spake of and why should we frame that of our selues which he reprobateth truely euery plant which he hath not planted shall be pulled vp by the rootes and therefore in vaine should we worship him following the traditions of men liue in the obedience of the Gospell for that shall bring vs to life and whatsoeuer we do more we either performe for curiositie to finde fault with that which is done or else for vanitie to search into that which is forbidden From hence let vs learne to lead most christian liues which is to serue the Lord with fastings and praiers after the example of the ancient godly beloued saints of God as Anna Luk. 2. 37. and the Apostle Paul 2. Cor. 11. 27 both men and women haue liued in this kind of abstinence and religious seruice of God But alas we haue among vs thousands which would thinke they receiued great iniurie if they be not accounted as good christians as Paul and Anna which neuer in all their life did so much as fast and pray one whole day togither in their priuate houses I cannot tell what nimblenes and ioyfulnes they finde in themselues to the seruice of God but I am sure that there haue beene and now are others of another iudgement which without this exercise of praier and fasting grow many times heauie and so dull in the practise of their profession that they thinke that the spirit of God is departed from them And when they haue renewed this exercise they finde themselues againe more ripe and sharpe and readie in any kinde of goodnes Alas what practise of repentance is there in them that are strangers in this action it is a simple sorrow for sinne that taketh not away one daies stomacke from meate and causeth not the soule to hunger more after reconciliation then after a worldly recreation Therefore fast often and pray much so shalt thou be like the godly neuer be wearie of this practise except thou be wearie of christianitie and as thy sinnes encrease so let thy mortification bee enlarged that thou maist make more castles in thy soule to defende thee then the diuell doth engines to annoy thee Another vse is that wee absent not our selues from those solemne and appointed kinde of fasts 1. Sam. 7. 6. all Israell came to obserue this before the Lord in Mizpeh and so continued till Samuel sent them home
worldly tortures to bring vs to death therewith he would bee contented but it is yet a more fearefull thing when we are subiect to all these and more also to leade an endlesse and easelesse life in the euer burning and neuer dying flames of hell The vses which wee must make of this doctrine are these first that wee learne to feare none of them that kill the body but onely him that is able to cast both bodie and soule into the fire of hell Mat. 10. 28. But I know euerie one will subscribe vnto me and say that they feare him aboue all when as this feare is such a weake dampe that it putteth not foorth any sinnes and it holdeth as much godlinesse in their harts as a sieue will holde water in the open aire Moses was afraide of a serpent and it made him run away what feare is this that possesseth our gospellers mindes that will not cause them to be as much afraide of the sting of sinne as Moses was of the sting of the serpent Ioseph saide for the feare of God he could not commit follie with his lady and if the feare of God had any rooting in your harts you could not leade such licentious liues as you doe The Israelites were afraide to sacrifice a sheepe in Egypt because it was abhomination to the Egyptians but you are not afraide to offer your filthy deadly and abhominable lustes to the Lord although they be abhomination to his maiestie yea although there bee an vnmeasurable iudgement hanging ouer your heads Therefore feare the Lord that must rule you and the iudge that must trie you and the sauiour that must keepe you or else you shall feele the deadly paine that shall torment you The poore woman that came before Salomon would rather depart with her childe to her neighbour then suffer it to be diuided in sunder but how much more deere it is to haue your soules cut in sunder feare you not this Therefore with all speede looke vnto the Lorde as humbly as petitioners pray vnto him as mournfully as prisoners tremble at him as fearfully as the hill of Sinai fall downe before him as lowe as Daniel melt at his anger as the waxe before the sunne Another vse is that we alway keepe our confidence in the Lord for if his wrath be but a little kindled then are they blessed that put their trust in him Psal 2. 11. Balaam feared God yet because his faith and confidence was not in the Lord he was slaine among the other enimies of God therefore let me now take occasion to exhort all your harts to a sure confidence in the Lorde because his wrath shall neuer touch those which put their trust in him It is saide Psal 99. 4. that Moses and Aaron and Samuel put their trust in God and he deliuered them This was such a trust as was exercised with all Christian vertues the which you must ioyne with them or else you cannot enioy it Forsake your selues imbrace the Lord loue not the worlde and desire Christes kingdome and then you trust in the Lorde confirme your harts with patience beautifie your minds with knowledge reforme your affections by repentance and amende your liues by the whole Gospell of God and then shall the Lord say you haue trusted in him Oh then blessed shall you be for although the world be drowned you shall bee saued although the citie be burned you shall bee deliuered although the people be captiuated you shall be enlarged and although the earth be cursed yet you shall be blessed If sicknesse weare thy body and anguish vexe thy soule and trouble oppresse thy life and losses catch away thy goodes and enimies spoile thy children and death doe ende thy daies yet shall not the wrath of God consume thy ioyes What wouldest thou haue more if God hate thee not hee loueth thee if hee loue thee he will keepe thee if he keepe thee danger shall not oppresse thee if thou be not oppressed then art thou blessed and if thou be blessed be sure thou shalt be saued The xiiij Sermon Vers 16. And ioy and gladnesse is cut off from the house of our God COncerning the former words of this verse we haue spoken in the verse before and now to the next following where the prophet telleth them or rather the Lord that now men could take no delight nor ioy in the outward seruice of his maiestie which was a most lamentable thing when one should come into the house of God where was woont to be most sweete melodie in the harts and voices of men like vnto another paradise now he should finde it full of teares and cries and yelling and sorrowes and euery one ashamed to shewe his face for griefe this doth the prophet offer to the consideration of God Whereby we will note this that the seruice of God must be performed with ioy and delight Deut. 16. 11. I meane the ordinarie seruice and worship of God But in our daies we may almost complaine as this prophet doth that ioy is parted from the house of our God men come almost as willingly to the churches as some goe to execution and tarrie as ioyfully before the preacher to heare the sermon as other doe before the iudge to heare the sentence When we are at our praier they are at their books when we are at our preaching they are at their sleepe when we are at our psalmes they are in the tauernes Maruell you not to see the ioy of these men in the worship of God vnto whome the church is a iaile the minister is a keeper the Lord is a iudge themselues are the prisoners and their zeales are as ioyfull to them as little ease yet for all this we will reioice in the Lorde our God and account one day spent in his courtes better then a thousande spent else where And as Dauid reioyced to see other men goe so will we reioice when our number is increased when our voices are aduaunced and our Lord Iesus magnified The reasons of this doctrine are these first because this ioy in the seruice of God is a token of the presence of God his spirite in the harts of men Rom. 14. 17. so on the other side when men are lumpish and heauie in this worship and heauenly businesse it is a token they like not the matter but are hindered and blinded by the spirit of malice Shall we then say that they are all giuen to the diuell who haue not beene baptised into the Lords spirit and possessed with a delight in the Lordes seruice then must wee say that all hard harted misers wicked minded ruffians fickle brained yoonglings and wind-wauering women which had rather be playing with their loues or their children or else be disporting in brauerie and wantonnesse or bee mumbling a few Paternosters of old angels or new stuffed barnes then yeeld their eares their hart their soule their minde and their whole man to the Lordes most
because they bee troubled their bowels are swelled and their hart is turned vpside downe meaning that they were so passionate that their inward partes were woonderfully mooued And this condemneth the colde affection of thousands in our daies which haue as much feeling in their praier as they haue in their dreames and knowe as well how to remooue a mountaine as how to mooue the Lords minde toward them so colde are their thoughts so weake are their desires so wilde are their wordes and so many be their wants in praier that I thinke verily when they haue praied they finde themselues as much fitter for the Lordes seruice as a stone is for building being rubbed ouer with a little oile I warrant you their harts are not turned vpside downe yea I would their liues were turned but I feare they will first bee ouerturned They will make more suite in better words for a dinner they being hungrie then for the Lords spirit or any other meanes for saluation Their voices in praier are like vnborne children crie they cannot much lesse speake any thing no not so much as to say Amen when others haue praied before them The reasons of this doctrine are these because hee careth not for meane and weake wordes but for strong and fearefull passions Isa 29. 13. for the Lorde being highly to be feared will especially be then feared ardently when men speake vnto him by praier Moses fell on his face when hee praied to him and so did Elijah for it is vnpossible but a man of flesh and blood shoulde tremble when hee thinketh on God much more when he praieth to God for then doth the spirit helpe a man more to see into the secret of his maiestie then at other times Yet fearefull is it to see how men in our daies thinke to carrie away the matter with wordes perswading themselues that their bare presence and outwarde dwelling among the church where now and then they heare God spoken of and heare a few praiers in the publike place although their harts honour not the one nor confesse the other yet are they as good religious men as any in the world but let them knowe that they be as good Christians as the Samaritanes were right Israelites Another reason is because that an acceptable sacrifice to God is a broken and contrite hart Psal 51. 17. and therefore when we offer to the Lorde our praiers let vs be sure that our hartes bee broken asunder for as there was no beast sacrificed but his body and shoulders were parted so no man can be offered to God but his hart must be diuided in sunder that is he must be most passionately affected at the Lords house and most lamentably tormented for his owne sinnes most pitifully opened for the Lords mercy most earnestly desire the building vp again of the same The vses which we must make of this thing are these First let vs not iudge euill or rashly of them that are mooued earnestly and labour effectually in prayer 1. Sam. 1. 14. 16. When Annah praied before the Lorde bicause hir lips went and not hir voice Eli tolde hir shee was drunke but she answered no for she was a woman of a bitter soule In like manner the power and working of the spirit in the praier of many through their continuance wordes and gestures is most wickedly mocked and most shamefully blasphemed of the malicious sort who are able to saie as much in their praiers as the olde masse-priestes coulde when they wanted their owne bookes And for this cause without the spirit of God they speake euill of the things of the spirite terming our earnestnes in praier to be rauing our zeale to be follie our continuance to be a heape of idle desires our teares to be hypocrisie our sweate to bee chafing and our forwardnes and willingnes thereunto to be pride and ambition with a number the like as I haue heard which are now opened in the stages where all good gestures are most wickedly derided Well well Eli was not so rash nor prophane but blessed Annah when she had tolde him hir minde and yet for all that hee ended his life with the breach of his necke Howe can it be but the Lorde shall more mercileslie bring these to confusion we may aske this kinde of monsters as Esay did some in his daies vpon whom haue you iested and against whom haue you opened your mouthes surclie against him that made both toong and mouth and shall trie it out As there are many giftes in the spirite of God so are there manie waies to expresse the power of them and as euerie one hath his gift so hath hee his gesture to open and vnfoulde the same Another vse of this doctrine is for our singular comfort that seeing according to our feeling in praier so is the Lorde affected towarde vs when wee are bitter hee maketh vs sweete when we are heauie he maketh vs ioyfull when we are cast downe hee raiseth vs vp and when we are most destitute and desperate he commeth with all speede as a mother to hir childe when it crieth loudest What are our sorrowes but many voices to cry vnto God and as a godly martyr hauing receiued manie woundes in his bodie whereby the bloude issued foorth abundantlie thanked his tormentors bicause hee had as many mouthes more to praise his God as hee had woundes in his flesh much more occasion haue wee to thanke our Sauiour that by sending so many sorrowes into our harts hath prouided for vs many friendes to entreate his mercy for vs. Therefore feare not my deere brethren and sisters for any aduersitie as when the battle is hottest the victorie is neerest so when your miseries are greatest your deliuerance is at hande Of this we haue often spoken before and so also of the other part of the verse following where the prophet yeeldeth the reason of his praier bicause the greene pastures were deuoured and the greattrees were burned vp teaching vs that which before we touched that when famine commeth there is nothing free from the same but it feeleth the smart if it haue any life at all And againe the vnmercifulnesse of it is noted when hee compareth it to fire and flame the fire burneth lowe that is the grasse of the earth and the flame reacheth high euen to the trees of the fielde The beastes of the fielde crie also vnto thee for the riuers of waters are dried vp and the fire hath deuoured the pastures of the wildernesse Nowe once againe the prophet rehearseth the crie and lamentation of the beasts where I might note that seeing the beastes crie vnto God and to none else how much woorse are those then beasts which either neuer cry or else crie to other then God But this is worthie our consideration that he saith the beastes crie vnto him noting vnto vs that God regardeth the verie crie and voice of dumbe and brutish creatures and therefore the Scripture
our selues neuer so sinful Psal 9. 9 10. although we bee neuer so poore in spirit yet let vs know that ours is the kingdome of heauen So that if thou reason with the diuell himselfe who will if it be possible deceiue thy soule telling thee that thou art more vile then others and therefore it is but follie for thee to call on God for mercie yet say to thy soule that the Lord neuer despiseth the sighings of the poore although I haue sinned yet I haue sorrowed although I haue neglected grace yet with the Lord there is more grace be it that I haue no goodnesse in me the more neede haue I to goe to God the author of goodnesse Men seeke not to the phisition in health but in sicknesse and the more desperate is their disease the more speedily they sollicite him and a good phisition commeth quickly so I want the health of my soule and I see death standing at the doore and knocking for me therfore my praier shall goe to the Lord my physition and I knowe that he will speedily come vnto me He abhorreth not my weakenesse he hateth not my person he willeth not my destruction and therefore wil I pray for saluation I am exceeding base but he will bende to me I am very poore but he will giue mee the riches of the spirite I am a sinner and he is a Sauiour why shoulde I not goe vnto him and fall downe lowe vpon his footestoole for hee neuer despiseth the sighing of the contrite Giue not thine heritage That is the people whom thou diddest take vnto thy self aboue al the nations of the world from hence we may obserue as in a singular metaphor how deere the church is vnto God Deut. 4. 20. euen as deere as any mans inheritance is to himselfe for indeed an inheritance doth very fitly resemble and shadow out vnto vs the nature and condition of the church First because it is not woorth any thing except a man do plant sow the same and so is it in the church wherin if the Lord plow not and sow not there can no good thing grow therein Againe an inheritance is sometimes sold away for the barrennes thereof so when the church groweth secure and bringeth not foorth good fruits the Lord giueth it ouer for a season to be spoyled by strangers Againe if an inheritance will no way be amended then is it accursed and burned Heb. 6. 8. so if no means will reclaime the world from their wicked life then he accurseth them and giueth them ouer to the fire of hell Also as a man taketh singular comfort in his inheritance so the Lord doth in his church and as a man hedgeth and encloseth his inheritance to keepe it from being wasted euen so the Lord hath set a brazen wall about his church the which all the diuels in hell shall neuer be able to ouerthrow but men and angels shall fight for their safegarde and maugre sinne and hell they shall endure as the earth doth euen for euer and euer The first reason because hee might powre his blessing on it Esa 19. 25. for hee hauing many most excellent benefits in store hath made choise of his church to powre foorth all that he hath thereupon for whether we consider the blessings of this life or the benefits of the life to come they are all ordained for the good of them that be godly He is wise to instruct vs he is mightie to defend vs he is liberall to maintaine vs he is mercifull to receiue vs for our sakes were the heauens created the earth established the waters remooued and the fruits appointed for our sakes were the angels condemned the sonne of God crucified and the age and yeeres of the world is plunged Another reason because we should be holy vnto him Deut. 19. 2. Of all the creatures of this worlde there is none that can bee holy vnto the Lord saue onely mankinde for they are the image of God and if the lande whereupon Moses stood was holy much more is the land of our harts holy whereupon the Lord himselfe standeth for he raigneth in vs. And this is the cause why the Lorde hath made vs his inheritance that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life for the heauens are holy whither wee are going the angels are holy with whom we shall dwell the church is holy wherein we liue and therefore we must bee holy or else we are accursed Seeing we are the inheritance of God purchased by his sonne then let not any of vs liue to our selues but to him that redeemed vs 2. Cor. 5. 15. how many waies might I vrge this doctrine that as the earth beareth not fruit for it selfe but for vs so should not we eate the fruits of our owne labours but offer them to the Lord. Our harts are the grounds our bodies are the hedges God his law is the plough the worde is the seede and himselfe is the husbandman Oh let vs not be ploughed and planted in vaine let vs not frustrate the Lords expectation and our soules saluation If we were but seruants yet we ought to worke for our hire but being his inheritance we must liue and die day and night to beare him fruit wee cannot put him away but he may put vs away our fruits do not profit him and yet the want of them will curse vs. Let vs not be for the weedes of sinne nor for pleasures to feede on as bullockes do on pasture-land but let vs bee his garden of sweete flowers his vineyard of fruitfull grapes his field of fine planted wheat and his possession for an euerlasting inheritance Let our words be as gratious fruit let our religion be as pretious pearle let our loue be as rockes of golde and let our bodies bee as fruitfull garners let vs bring him all for first fruits tenthes and offerings and sacrifices that we may be his blessed land vnto the worlds end Another vse seeing we are the Lords inheritance we may see that the Lorde will be very hardly driuen to forsake vs for he gaue a lawe Numb 27. that none shoulde sell awaie their inheritance but at the ende of fiftie yeeres euery one should reclaime thereunto So that if the Lord shall giue ouer his inheritance as hee did Israell Hos 5. 15. the case is very desperate but not perpetuall A man that hath manie barren fieldes doth not presently sell them away no more the Lorde which hath many barren soules in the compasse of his church doth presently forsake them but rather dresseth them by the ministerie of the worde that they may be made fruitefull Oh heare this you that are in the Lordes folde although he beare for a season with your barren hearts and suffer you manie yeeres to lie in rest thinking at the last you will bring him some profit bring it foorth with speede or else knowe that the Lorde which redeemed you from
former wee haue heard the wonderfull troubles vpon the afflicted Iewes so now we shall heare the same spirite assisting vs the singular comforts and promises which the prophet maketh vnto them vnto the ende of this prophesie These comforts are either the restitution of their owne abundance in this whole chapter following or the promise for the ouerthrow of their enimies in the last chapter vnto themselues in this chapter he promiseth worldly benefits vnto the 27. vers and spirituall benefites or graces from the 27. to the ende The worldly blessings are of two sortes First that hee will spare them from farther vengeance vers 18. Secondlie that he will heape on them many benefites In this vers he promiseth to be iealous ouer his land and spare his people Meaning that hee will watch ouer them with a reuenging hand to annoy and destroy all those that rise against them For iealousie signifieth an inordinate loue tending to reuenge Num. 25. 13. In this verse considering the order which the prophet maketh in that he first exhorteth them to repentance to praier and so presently descendeth to these sweete promises following wee may obserue that so soone as a man hath repented so soone is he capable of the tender mercies of God All this while wee haue heard of no mercie but iudgements threatning and thundering most fearefull wrath but now at length after some woorthie exhortations to repentance commeth this cheerefull promise of mercie to tell vs that we can no sooner repent on earth but the Lord will seale our remission in heauen Iob. 11. 14. 15. Naamans seruant told him that the Prophet bad him an easie thing when hee said goe wash and bee cleane and therefore if he would not wash he should not be cleane so is it but a short commaundement that wee should be repentant and then be saued therefore if men will not repent it is no pitie if they be not saued Oh I would to God that they might goe out of this life as free from sinne as Naaman went out of Israell free from leprosie but if the promises of God cannot be had without repentance no more then a cable roape can goe through the eie of a needle except it be spun as fine as any thread then are they like to lye on the Lords owne hand for there are but few that will buye them so deerely rather had they passe a short life without promises in the possession of vanities then lead a sorrowfull life in the fruition of godlines so that the contrarie shall bee saide to them that heere the Prophet speaketh God will neuer bee iealous ouer them and spare their soules The first reason because in repentance we mitigate the intolerable wrath of God Ion 3. 3. that thing which the euerlasting paines of hell cannot performe may be redressed by the sorrowes of our harts the teares of our liues for no blood no money no riches no torments nor any friends can appease the Lords wrath but a sorrowfull perplexed spirit can doe away all For as the ground is fit for the seed when it is ploughed so a heart is fit for the Lord when it is broken By this we may see what is the folly of wicked men for if by repentance good men escape damnation then without repentance euill men shall possesse damnation Tell me haddest thou leifer be drunk one meale and then fast for euer after or fast at one meale and then eate for all thy life following Canst thou not abide two or three blowes with a rod to auoide ten thousand with an iron scourage or were thou not better haue thy nailes pared then suffer thy fingers to be cut off and rather suffer a little blood to be taken from thee then let all thy life be lost so endure here mourning for an hower rather then in hell for euer and abide here the chastisement of God his worde rather then in hell the punishment of diuels let thy life loose all her ioy rather then thy soule should loose her saluation Another reason because it worketh or bringeth life eternall Act. 11. 28. now life eternall is all in all he that can haue this what matter is it though his life be poore his bodie be starued his name be odious his miseries be tedious his libertie be closed vp in irons his health be layed vp in sickenes and his friends be turned into mortall foes what are all these if a man be assured of heauen surely lighter then feathers easier then soft beds and welcommer then a long life Nay rather what are all things without life eternall great liuings daintie fare many friends obedient seruants goodly houses easie daies soft beds and long life but as the pleasant sting of a serpent which a while doth so tickle the veines and sinewes of the bodie that it delighteth euery member but in the end it swelleth the body poysoneth the blood breaketh the veines and destroyeth the life so are the goods of this life without the goods of the world to come Let vs therefore make this vse thereof that if it be but to dwell in our land let vs be repentant Ierem. 25. 5. God will not spare our land till we haue repented Oh how fearfull is it to thinke that we should begge in Italy or Spaine or Fraunce when we may enioy our reuenewes in England Let vs weepe at home that we lament not in other lands let vs sorrow in our houses that we complaine not in forreine prisons Now would the Lord feed vs with the finest flower the sweetest hony the fattest oxen and the best lambes in the flocke Oh why should we abuse all these to be carried where wee shall want all sustenance for life Some men hold their landes by suite of law and continuall danger let vs bestow as much for repentance to hold ours as they do to defend theirs Let vs repent for our selues for our possessions for our wiues and children and for our bodies and soules or else all will be taken from vs. Another vse God will neuer withdraw his mercy from a repentant man Zech. 1. 3. and this was it that our Sauiour meant when he said that all things are possible to him that beleeueth namely that he should begin continue and end well Feare not the assistance of God in any trouble or triall or death or affliction if thou haue repented for thou shalt hold out to the end Repentance made Abraham to trauell longer and be well contented it made the Israelites to waite for Christ it incouraged the Martyres to die for Christ therfore if thou haue repented thou maiest boldly assure thy self that thou shalt haue patience in euery trouble zeale in all thy life and comfort in any distresse and abilitie for euery temptation with power to abide death and glorie to reward thy soule For although thou maist slip after thou hast repented yet thou canst not finally perish for all the sinnes done after
idolatrie and the monarchie of the diuel the which I pray God for euer destroy But in this that we said that the abundance of the spirit vnder the time of the kingdom of Christ is shadowed foorth vnder these types of the olde testament so that the kingdome of Christ consisteth of such members as are heere described to bee possessed with the spirit of God to prophesie and such like Whereby we learne that those which auoide the ministerie and other spirituall functions do as much as they can darken and deface the kingdome of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. so that a continuall and an vnwearied studie must be applyed vnto the same there is no wit so fine but herein it may be busied there is no profession so needefull but it must giue place to this For Diuinitie is like Sara and other arts and sciences like Agar and although humane arts haue conceiued with child and gotten more followers then Diuinitie yet they must know they are but handmaides and must be subiect to their mistresse The reasons First because the ignorance of the scriptures is the mother of all abhomination and errour Matth. 22. 25. so that take away religion and Diuinitie although their sciences could make golde yet they cannot stand Secondly in the profession of faith and of religion consisteth the ground-worke and foundation of the church Matth. 16. 18. and therfore they which giue not themselues hereunto doe not onely pull downe the building of christianitie but raze downe the verie foundations thereof I haue followed these things more at large in the beginning and therefore I now touch them lightly Let vs therefore exercise the commandements of God and purge our impure liues by their rule Psalm 119. 9. for so long as our eares are open to his word our liues shal be couered from shame as Ioas prospered all the daies of Iehoijada so shall we so long as the Gospell and religion ruleth in our soules Let vs take that which the angels brought Act. 7. 53. for they brought the law and in nothing are we so like the angels as in the studie of Diuinitie for they behold the face of God in heauen and wee behold him in the scriptures Thirdly when he saith that their sonnes and their daughters shall prophesie we may note that there are not any in the church too rich or too good for the studie of diuinitie Isaie the Prophet was of the kings seed and Salomon the richest and wisest king that euer was would be called a preacher in his wisest and best daies Our gentlemen scorn this priestly trade but set their sonnes to marchandize or to the lawe or to one golden trade or other but they set their sonnes as much to Diuinitie as their daughters yea they thinke their whole family is disgraced if there bee any of their name a priest for so they odiously terme vs otherwise the name is too good for them or vs. The reasons First bicause bodily exercise profiteth little but godlines is profitable to all 1. Tim. 4. 8. One was woont to say that the world was destroyed by three sortes of men by Lawyers for they destroy mens goods by Phisitions for they kill mens bodies and by ignorant Diuines for they damne mens soules now verily I thinke that so it is with vs for there was neuer more contention for wealth or more cost laide foorth on phisicke and neuer lesse care for saluation Such ignorant diuines haue marde all whose heads are as full of learning as a flint stone is of oyle and their liues correspondent to their knowledge so that now adaies there is no difference betweene Aaron and the priests of Egypt betwixt Nadab and Phinehas betwixt Sadoc and Abiathar betwixt Michaiah and Zidkijah betwixt Ieremie and Shemaiah betwixt Christ and the Pharisees betwixt Peter and Simon betwixt the Phisition and the patient betwixt Balaam and his Asse Studie doth not commend a Diuine but a noble mans letter and an angell is more woorth then a preacher Another reason it will amend euery mans way Psal 119. 9. Let therefore the word of God dwell among vs plentifully Col. 3. 16. and let vs exercise the scriptures from our childhoode 2. Tim. 3. 15. that so wee may haue God in our selues religion in our hearts and holines in our liues that our auncients may teach better our youth may liue better our children may learne better that our houses our hearts our liues our fathers our sons our daughters may bee blessed Fourthly hee saith Hee will powre foorth his spirite vppon their seruaunts and maidens who in olde time were baselie accounted of especially if they were not of their owne nation From hence wee may note that it is the dutie of christians that liue in these times since this Gospell was fulfilled to haue care to make their seruants religious Prou. 14. 35. or else to make choise of such when they want A good christian wil be alway a good seruant and therefore if thou wouldest haue good seruants make them good christians He is a better seruant that liueth well then hee that laboureth well for thinke not that hee will euer make conscience of thy businesse that maketh not conscience of the Lordes businesse Col. 3. 22. The reasons First because thou maiest safely giue all into his handes as was in Ioseph Gen. 39. 8. Againe hee may profit thy sonnes and doe them more good then thou canst Prouerb 17. 2. Therfore let seruants bee handled like christians not like slaues like men and not like beastes Leuit. 25. 39. They are your brethren despise them not 1. Timoth 6. 2. They are the Lordes free men abuse them not 1 Cor. 7. 22. Command them no euill offer them no wrong hinder not their faith torment not their liues forsake them not in age nourish them in sicknesse pay them their hire feede them sufficiently empaire not their credite reuile them not correct them for euill commende them for godlinesse and be such masters to them as Christ is to you Againe let seruants make choise of christian maisters not where they may haue most wages but where they may haue most instruction not where they may haue most ease but most information 1. Timot. 6. 6. You were better eate herbes with a godly master then a fatte oxe with a wicked you were better fare harde and worke harde where your soules may bee gouerned then fare well and worke little where your soules are endangered Be subiect to thy master 1. Pet. 2. 18. Serue not an Atheist for any money nor a papist for any meat nor a neuter for any hire nor a knowne hypocrite for any wages but serue thy master looke to his wealth tranaile for his profite mispende not his substance defende his credite make much of his children and praie for his saluation Care not for ease spende nothing in riot carie no tales keep within the house and remember God in thy worke that
5. They sell them for bread and for olde shooes And so wee may see the rich man in the Gospell that esteemed more of his dogs then of Lazarus and so Nehe. 5. 3 4 5. the poore were driuen to sell their children to slauerie for to buie them bread Such hard hearted men were and shall be for euer which make not any account of their poore brethren The reasons are First because they are vnmercifull Pro. 21. 10. and therefore howe can they be mercifull to them whom they hate seeing they are not mercifull to them whom they loue Another reason is because they do not thinke good men woorthy to liue Ioh. 19. 15. and therefore they care not howe they abuse them The vses which wee are to make heereof are briefly these First that wee giue not to wicked men any commendations Prouerb 24. 24. What is there in any vngodly man woorth the noting except it bee sinne and shall wee commend any bodie for their sinne But I thinke that in our times either euery man is righteous and none are euill or else many men are beside the exhortation of the wise man For there is not anie Vsurer nor anie briber nor any tyrant nor any Atheist nor any papist nor any rich man but they are all commended by one or other No landlord so hard no gentleman so leud no minister so ignorant no whoremonger so filthie although he die of the French disease but wee haue some epitaphes of his commendation although they liued without praise and died without repentance Whereunto will the worlde come and who will desire to liue therein if thou commend euill men how canst thou dispraise euill for euill doth not make the man but the man maketh the euill Yea we haue of our noble and royall preachers that will in a funerall sermon tell of the good deedes of manie blasphemers and misers and couetous and filthie and ignorant and gamsters and I thinke for money of witches and coniurers and rebels pronounce in the pulpet that they are in heauen but beware and bee as wise in saying that a man is saued as thou wilt be warie in affirming that any is damned Another vse which we may make of this doctrine is the same that God asked of sathan Iob 1. 8. Whether hee had considered his seruant Iob Insinuating vnto vs that we ought to weigh measure the dignitie of a godly man howe there is none like vnto him in all the worlde And truely if wee did often call to our mindes the blessings that righteous men do bring vnto the world we should account them as happie that liue with them as the Queene of Saba did those which liued with Salomon but since no man considereth either their life or their death as the Prophet speaketh men grow to so peruerse corrupt a iudgment concerning the world that they thinke there is no difference betwixt the iust and the wicked Sodom neuer knewe what a good man was till the fire came and the worlde will not knowe the benefite of a christian till Christ come to iudgement But do not men consider what righteous men are yes verilie for they trie them as the diuell did Iob they vexe them with many troubles load them with many euils and offende them with manie outrages and grieue them with many slanders you shal heare in the open streetes open reuiling of God his deere children and now adaies there is not a plaie or an enterlude but there are som scoffes at religion many scornes at good christians and infinite abuses offered to the preachers What considering is this but grieuing of the righteous spirite of the Lorde that dwelleth in them and studying howe to improoue their sinnes to the vttermost But it shall bee sufficient for vs to know that the Lorde of glorie will not doe so vnto vs. And therefore be not discouraged my beloued brethren golde is golde although it lie in the dirt and pearle is pearle although it bee buried in a dunghill so a christian is a christian although he be trode vnder the feete of helhoundes and be buried aliue in the companie of serpents Consider them that feare God to honour them not to vexe them to helpe them not to hurt them to loue them not to tempt them to liue after them not to accuse them Thinke they are the starres that giue light in the night they are captaines that are formost in seruice they are the soules that shield others from danger Nowe if there be no starres and no captaines and no shieldes howe shall we walke in the night of this worlde or fight in the battle of Christ or be saued from the fierie darts of sathan The xxxvj Sermon Vers 4. Yea and what haue you to do with me ô Tyrus and Zidon and all the coasts of Palestina will yee render me a recompence and if yee recompence me swiftly and speedily will I render your recompence vpon your head THis verse containeth a question of the Lord vnto the neerest enimies of the church namely the marchants of Tyrus and Zidon insinuating that they did all the before named villanie to the Iewes as it were to wrecke their malice vpon God and therefore he asketh them whether they wil recompence him and if they do but once thinke so to do then will he fully repay them home againe And first of all wee may heere note that it is in vaine to be angrie with God for he saith what haue you to do with me c and so the Lord chastiseth Ionah Ion. 4. 9. that he might learne not to repine against his creator The world now adaies as they care little to please God so they care lesse to offend God and like mad people if their dooings be but a little crossed they sweare stare against God himselfe they like not his gouernment sometime he sendeth too much drought another time too much raine another time they are angrie for the losse of their cattle and most times for the reproofe of their sinnes So that thus they lye tossed like an vnquiet sea fretting and foaming against God and heauen but what haue they gayned by their repining or what are they eased by their swearing Surely nothing but their wound is greater and their sore is made more incurable learne therfore to be more quiet and open not thy mouth against thy creator If thy sores be as thy haires and thy paines be as thy thoughts and thy wounds be as thy daies and thy losses be as thy life yet be not angrie with God he is more inclined to our patience then to our wrath for the patient spirit shall inherit the land The reasons hereof are these First because sinne will slay vs as the Lord told Cain Gen. 4. 7. Again we cannot possibly be angrie or repine against God be it but the least motion but we shall sinne against him And therefore in all extremities let euerie good christian say with
old Eli it is the Lord let him do what he wil let him take my goods for he gaue them let him haue my children for hee made them let him remooue my health for he sent it let him chaunge my friends for he wonne them let him trouble my conscience for he can giue it peace and let him take away my soule for he can giue it saluation The vses that we may make hereof are these First that we waite patiently vpon the Lord Psal 37. 7. we shal see in the end our harts desire cōmit our whole care to his protection who is able wil be willing to effect the same Waite patiently for there is no master so kinde but hee hath some attendance of his seruant and therefore how canst thou be the seruant of God if thou neuer attend vpon him A good seruant of a willing minde doth obey his maister euen in those things that are hard to be perfourmed and so although it be hard for thee yet endure the calamitie that somewhat presseth and oppresseth thee Naamans seruants said to him that the Prophet bid him but a small thing that was wash and be cleane and then he washed and was cleansed and so I say vnto you it is but a small thing I exhorte you waite and you shall be eased Oh that I might perswade any sicke man to waite for health or any poore man to waite for reliefe or any old man to waite for death or any yoong man to waite for Christ happie were I but more happie were they that so could be taught to be so cured Waite in the morning for a blessing and in the day for a comfort and in the night for a light in the morning that thou maist worke in the day that thou maist continue and in the night that thou maist receiue thy reward oh tarrie but a little while and thou shalt see an end of all miserie Another vse of this doctrine is this that we take heede how we by our wrath prouoke the wrath of the holy Ghost against vs and so grieue the spirit by whom we are sealed We were farre better let our soules goe foorth of our bodies then let the Spirit goe foorth of our soules I meane it were better for vs to die then to liue without the holy Ghost Yea let vs eate sorrow as we eate meate and grieue our consciences rather then grieue the holy Ghost Dauids seruants were afraid to tell him of the death of his childe because it would grieue him oh therefore let vs be more afraid to grieue the Spirit of God then they were to grieue the king of Israell Now if thy sinnes be reprooued amend them if thy life be threatned abide it if thy goods be wasted fret not at it if thy enimies reioice at thee bee not desperate if thou be offended sweare not rashly if thou be punished curse not outwardly and if thou be accused yet answer not bitterly grieue not the spirit of promise For ye haue taken my siluer and my gold This is the fifth cause specified in their enditement for the which the Lord calleth them to iudgement for that they ransacked his temple and tooke away all his golde and siluer which was appointed for his seruice and carried into their idoll-temples whatsoeuer was ordained for the performing of his worship And first of all we may obserue in this place that whatsoeuer hath been lawfully giuen and appointed vnto the maintenance of religion can neuer bee taken away againe or else in vaine had the Lord blamed these infidels for that in their lawfull conquest they had spoiled his temple also and this selfesame thing doe the godly complaine of Psal 74. 6 7. So that if any lands haue beene giuen or any houses haue beene builded or any priuileges haue beene graunted or any money haue beene deliuered for the furtherance of the Lordes worship it is sacrilege to transferre them violently or couetously or craftily to any other vses Oh how shall they be iudged that liue vpon the spoile of the church and share the Lords portion so neere and so narrow that they haue made it too little to fit his glorie Doe they not knowe that the Lorde shall call them to a reckoning for his siluer and his golde and then oh then how deere wil their daintie fare their silken suites their veluet slippers their french-hoods their golden borders and their blew-coate-hirelings cost them that they haue gained and maintained by the robberie of churches The reasons of this doctrine are these first because the goods of the church are holy things 2. Chron. 20. 19. and therefore not to be prophaned which is then done when they are withdrawen from the Lords seruice For certainly although in substance the golde and treasure of the church be the same that all other is of as the water and the bread and wine in the sacraments in substance bee all one with other water wine and bread yet in regarde of the vse there is a difference for they are made holy by dedication and therefore as it were horrible villanie to abuse the elements in the sacraments so is it execrable robberie to prophane the treasure of the church Another reason is this because if it were not lawfull for Ananias and Saphira vnder pretence of religion to sell their land as if they would haue giuen it to the church and yet kept away part thereof Act. 5. 4. then is it much more vnlawfull to keepe away any part from the church which we neuer gaue but it was rightly the churches possession before wee were borne And the vses which may be made hereof may bee these first that these church-robbers and sacrilegious persons knowe that the iudgement of God doth continually hang ouer their head as often as euer they abuse and take any of these hallowed and sanctified treasures as it did ouer Belshazzar Dan. 5. 3 5. who was then sentenced to destruction when he was drinking wine in the cups of the temple And surely we were better weare camels haire for our garments as Iohn Baptist did and haue not a house to rest our heads vpon as Christ had not and lappe vp our drinke as Gedeons soldiers did out of the running streame then so to be clothed and lodged and delicately nourished with the goods of the church and the curse of the Lorde What though some kings of Iudah did buy peace with them and Dauid did eate of the shew-bread yet they did it for necessitie to maintaine the common-wealth and to preserue life and so verily I thinke may be done nowe But blessed be God we neuer yet tasted of the like necessitie and so long as there shall be one penny of money or one foote of land in the possessions of priuate men so long must the treasurie of the church be left vntouched O yee gentlemen and rich men and vnhappie men which haue filled your priuate cofers with the Apostles